An internetwork computing system is a geographically distributed collection of interconnected network segments for transporting data between computing nodes, such as routers. The network segments are typically local area networks (LANs) coupled together by point-to-point wide area networks (WANs). A LAN is a limited area network that typically consists of a transmission medium, such as coaxial cable or twisted pair, for connecting the nodes, while a WAN may be a public or private telecommunications facility that interconnects widely dispersed LANs. Collectively, the LAN and WAN segments may be configured to form a complex topology of internetworked computing nodes that interact according to a predefined set of rules or protocols.
A network mapping system is used to manage such complex internetwork computing systems by providing network management service tools. These services may be implemented in accordance with a client/server architecture, wherein the clients, e.g., personal computers or workstations, are responsible for interacting with the users and the servers are computers configured to perform the services as directed by the clients. Furthermore, the service tools may range from map-drawing software to capabilities for automatically discovering the topology of network segments using a variety of LAN, WAN and protocol technologies. Information pertaining to the discovered topology is typically gathered to build a coherent database model of the internetwork system.
However, the tools used for viewing the topology of the network are typically difficult to comprehend primarily because the entire internetwork is often presented as a single, monolithic "page" on a computer display. As a result, the layout of the internetwork is such that nodes typically appear far away from their neighboring nodes, making it hard to discern relationships among elements of the system. Furthermore, the internetwork layout typically changes as new nodes are discovered.